Well we asked for it! Corten Steel & Cement Sheet!!

[Kristine..]

Yep, well, that's what you get when you tell the Architect 'OK, we've figured out where to put the vanity basins, we'll leave the rest up to you!'

So he has decided to wrap the obvious bits of the building in Corten Steel and leave the rest as unpainted cement sheet.

He says the rusted steel will give the building a 'maritime feel' and that we can enjoy watching the shadow patterns on the wall of the unpainted pergolas as they weather to silver grey over time.

We had only two 'not's' (no pun intended) when we gave him the brief:

* We don't want the house to look like a munitions factory, and
* We don't want a blue and yellow 'beach house'.

However, this will be a house by the beach, so I guess distressed steel and raw cement sheet with silvered timber battens and trims isn't something we had actually thought of but by hey! Why not?

And up in the tower, we will have lovely wide window sills behind the built in window seats (on three sides of the tower) to put plates of cake and cups of tea on and will be able to do 360 degree google type photos of the view - all the way across the 1,924 square kilometres of this magnificent Bay of ours.

Be careful what you wish for, as you will surely get it!

We wanted something 'a bit different'

But rusted steel and unpainted cement sheet!?!

I don't know whether to laugh or cry!

cheers
Kristine

 

[wylie]

I think it sounds like it could be pretty stand-out and stunning to be honest, as long as it is not sitting in a whole street of seaside cottages with picket fences.... heck, even if it is, perhaps it will be a breath of fresh air.

Grand Designs Australia bushfire house was clad in a steel product and glass and was what I pictured when I read your post. Inside it was quite industrial with cement kitchen benches and wharf-sourced dining table. The steel was meant to weather as it aged, and I really liked it.

If I was to build, it would be something very different, cutting edge, not your run-of-the-mill finish, so I give it my tick of approval .

(The only thing that would be a negative would be that it sounds like you have specifically asked to NOT have something of a particular style or finished look, so I wonder if he has listened to your brief? It all depends on the "look" of the finished house. Photos would be great.)

 

[Amadio]

It could look good if he is a very talented architect but he's skirting dangerously with your brief not to make it look like a munitions factory.

Interesting example I found while looking up cement sheet:
http://www.dezeen.com/2010/08/01/prefabricated-nature-by-by-mycc/

When I drive by these rusty houses I always think of them as Architecture by Testosterone. Or...guy houses.

 

[Perp]

If I was to build, it would be something very different, cutting edge, not your run-of-the-mill finish, so I give it my tick of approval .

Ditto - I find brick and tile aesthetically offensive. (Even though, to my chagrin, I currently live in one! )

Kristine, I think it sounds fabulous, and can't wait to see the finished product. It sounds very low maintenance, and that I like.

I hope it won't be too many years before I'm able to follow in your footsteps. One of my self-indulgent goals is to live in a home an architect has designed to my brief, without being limited by budget. I don't want a huge home, or particularly extravagant finishes; to achieve my goal I just want to not have to make any compromises on achieving the aesthetic that I want.

 

[Sunfish]

If you build it, you'll be in a mag someday.

Edit: I just did a search on Corten Steel and it sounds interesting. One word used was "patina", a word well known to coin collectors and describes the aged finish of the metal.

Hope it works out for you Kristine.

 

[willair]

Yep, well, that's what you get when you tell the Architect 'OK, we've figured out where to put the vanity basins, we'll leave the rest up to you!'

So he has decided to wrap the obvious bits of the building in Corten Steel and leave the rest as unpainted cement sheet.

He says the rusted steel will give the building a 'maritime feel' and that we can enjoy watching the shadow patterns on the wall of the unpainted pergolas as they weather to silver grey over time.

We had only two 'not's' (no pun intended) when we gave him the brief:

* We don't want the house to look like a munitions factory, and
* We don't want a blue and yellow 'beach house'.

However, this will be a house by the beach, so I guess distressed steel and raw cement sheet with silvered timber battens and trims isn't something we had actually thought of but by hey! Why not?

And up in the tower, we will have lovely wide window sills behind the built in window seats (on three sides of the tower) to put plates of cake and cups of tea on and will be able to do 360 degree google type photos of the view - all the way across the 1,924 square kilometres of this magnificent Bay of ours.

Be careful what you wish for, as you will surely get it!

We wanted something 'a bit different'

But rusted steel and unpainted cement sheet!?!

I don't know whether to laugh or cry!

cheers
Kristine

Maybe ask about the fittoff and ask the question rusted steel in a salt water area,the cement sheet will be ok as long as the use S-S 316 marine grade screws I have seen this style done in Nth Nsw it does stand out..willair..

 

[Simon]

The rusted steel is being used on the expensive new apartments up this way. After time it is quite stunning.

Go for it.

 

[fokas]

I believe you must post photos!

 

[Ballaratian]

There's an interesting feature with pictures in today's Domain (p. 18) on a designer who works with Cor-Ten steel. His commissions have included architectural cladding, garden features and a $25,000 (!) dog kennel.

 

[boods99]

Hi Kristine,
Instead of using traditional corten steel, you are able to get a paint system that mimmicks (sp?) corten steel fininsh, that is easily applied to CFC.
It consists of a black based undercoat (2 to 3 coats usually)which are applied.
This undercoat contains steel particles. Once dry, you apply an acid based solution which causes the particles to oxidise, thus giving the desired effect.
Have used it on a development before and it looks the part.

Boods

 

[Aaron Sice]

if you drink and draw you're a bl00dy architect.....

 

[sammmeee]

Agreed Aaron architects live in the clouds and have no idea of local council requirements or don't care about the complexities of building it.

But this sounds definitely unique.

 

[Perp]

if you drink and draw you're a bl00dy architect.....

LOL - love it!

Agreed Aaron architects live in the clouds and have no idea of local council requirements or don't care about the complexities of building it.

Bless 'em! Without dreamers like that, we'd end up with an ugly suburbia full of brick and tile monstrosities that are totally unsuited to our climate.

Hey... hang on a minute...